Door for grain-cars.



PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.4, 1906. RENEWED APR.20,1D08.

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WM g i Mg w m N A M/L 3165 3 (3:5: myz/jnww PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

7 P. L. THOMPSON. DOOR FOR GRAIN CARS.

APPLICATION FILED D110. 4, 1906. RENEWED APR. 20, 1908.

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Illlllll'flliill tlllil ail UNITE STATES PATENT @FF FRANK L. lHOi\iPSUN, OF GREAT BEND, NORTH DAKOTA.

DOOR FOR GRAIN-CARS.

. Application filed December 4, 1906, Serial No. 346,241.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Renewed April 20, 1908. Serial No. 428,051.

which such cars are used make it necessary to provide an easily movable door which 111' the act of opening shall not be destroyed, and when opened shall be out of the way.

it is a fact familiar to those using graincars that large numbers of doors are destroyed in the effort to open loaded cars and when opened they project or he in such position as to be easily injured by accident. To obviate these difficulties and provide simple and eflicient means of closing the opening in box cars is one of the objects of my invention.

Another object is to provide a car doon that will effectively close the doorways of box cars against the leakage of grain.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a detail side view taken from inside of a box car showing my improved door; Fig. l is a detail sectional end view taken upon the line X -X of Fig. 1, showing the door in full; Fig.3 is another detail sectional view, taken upon the line Y-L ol Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional end view illustrating the sections of the door nested together; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view looking toward the ends of one of the door sections; *ig. 6 is an enlarged detail view looking up at one of the door.

sections; Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view looking down upon the upper section and showing one of the vertical posts of the doorway in section, and Fig. 8 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view through one of the door sections showing the llight immediately below it in full.

In tl e drawings A represents a detail por tion of a grain car, B one of its door frames, and il the doorway which is surrounded by said frame.

My improved door consists in part of a series of horizontal sections 2, 3, 4, and 5 which are adapted to nest together when raised vertically over th doorway. These sections may he made out of either plain or rmrrugaled metal or other suitable material and construction by which a strong structure is provided. Each section is in the form of a [back having end flanges G and to) flanges 7 said flanges decreasing 1n widt from the upper to the lower sections so that each lower section is adapted when raised to nest into the one immediatelyabove it. All of the sections above the lower one are provided with vertical grooves 8 on the inner sides of their end flanges and each of the sections below the upper one is provided with tongues 9 which slide in said grooves when the sections are raised 'or lowered to nest together or open. The upper ends of the grooves 8 turn inward at 10, toward the backs of the sections and the lower edges of the sections above the lower section are turned forward at 11 to form ledges. hen the sections are nested together each of the lower sections is moved slightly forward upon approaching home position, and the lower edges of each section below the upper flight rest upon the ledges 11 where they are adapted to remain until the sections are lowered and the doorway closed.

The sections are placed. across the doorway with their backs in the car and their ends lapping over the vertical door posts 12 of the door frame. The upper section is formed with a lip 13 on each of its ends w'hich'is slot-ted at 14. Upon the posts 12 are secured vertical guide rods 15 passing loosely through the slots 1 1 in the lips from which the sections are hung, said rods being of suliic length to allow the sections to extend to i floor of the car. The upper ends of the gold rods 15 have oil-sets 16 so that the sooth, when nested together may be. raised a hung above the doorway by means of a hoot: 17 which is shown secured to the rool oi the an by a pivot bolt r The slot 14 and the oil-set 1.6 permitthc movement of the scctions as described and the hook 17 engaging all of the lower edges of the. sections, supports said flights when raised above the door-- way. The oil-set also assists in supporting the sections during the operation of ref Eng them toward the. roof of the cur. To hold the sections securely upon the posts 12 when in lowered position, the end ol'- each section above the lowermost section is provided with a catch 19 which interlocks with a metal plate 21 projecting over a pocket 20 in the door frame and fastened to said posts by means of screws 22 or other suitable means. The force of the grain holds all of the sections tightly against the side posts and the means whit-hi" tions to saii'l temporarily in position.

.-rovided for securing the secl n use, when it is desired to fill the car j i substanliall horizontal to.

with grain, the sections are lowered into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the catches dropped into engagement with the pocket plates 21. To allow the grain to be unloaded from the the lower section pried open by a crowbar or other suitable means and then all 01 the sections may be raised and nested together in the top of the car where they are hung from the roof by means of the hook 17.

In accordance with the patent statutes i have described the principle of operation of l posts is merely to hold them i my invention, together with the apparatus 1 which I now consider to represent the best embodimentthereoi, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth.

Having de'cribed my invention, what I claim as new and d csirc lo protect by Letters Patent l. A sectional ca' door, the sections of which are adaplcd to spread open vertically and nest togcthcr, consisting of a plurality of plates having me ginal flanges, across the door opcni in car, vertical guide rods sccurcu to rho ai .=d upon which said plates are supported r ztiil guide rods permitting said plates to hc moved upward toward the roof of the ac. and means fol-supporting said plates when in uperior position.

' in combination with a car having a frame audio; doorway, a plurality of sections lormed l3} plates having marginal lian 'es. in the car across said doorway. said l llH-flilfl' 'ivided. with means by which hey are adapted to nest together when raised, means on id door frame for guiding and pcrmitiing saidplates to be raised, and means ior supporting said plates in superior position.

cient length to allow the plates to extend to the floor of the car when lowered and to be l raised to the rool oi the car when the doori seaeee way opei'ied, and means for supporting said plates in superior position i. The con'ihination with doorway and a frame the" 3 slots in said lips, said rods being of suil icienl length to allow the sections to extend to the iloor oi the car, and having oil-sets ncart heir uppcr ends to permit the sections, to he swung near the rool of the ar, and means for supportiijig said sections in superior position.

5. The combination with a car having a doorway and a (lOOI-fl'illll therein, oi it-series of horizontal sections across said doorway provided with end and top llang'cs and inner ledges along their lower cdgcs, suhslantiallw vertical intcrmcshing tongues and grooves in the corresraaiding outer and inner surfaces of said flanges, said groovw inclining toward the hacks at said sections near their upper ends, to cause said sections to advance upon said ledges when iicstcd together, guides on the sides of said door frame to which the upper section is SLCUicd and having oil-sets near their uppcr ends to rmrmit said sections being swung in i-icstcd position toward the root of the carv and means for sup 'iorting said sections in superior position 6. The combination with a car having a doorway and a frame therein, of a series of horizontal sections provided with means by which they are adapted to nest back. of each other, said sections lJif-ilig provided with ledges upon their lower edges l'or the lower sections to rest upon when nested and with guides and hooks by which the may be secured to said door frame when in lowered position, silbstantially vertical guide rods secured to said door l'raine-u 'ion which. said guides are adapted to slide, and means for supporting said sections above the doorway when in superior position.

in testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the prcscncc of two subscribing witnesses.

FRAN K L. Tl iOM' lSl )N. \Vitnessess A. C. Lnisrmow, FRANK J. Kwcrrnt. 

